Tokyo Love Story
by footloosest
Summary: The Technovoyager team goes to Tokyo for (some sort of) vacation. Catherine is especially thrilled to be able to visit Hidaka's homeland. But even there, they can't seem to get a break...
1. Chapter 1

_**Short author note** : This story has been sitting on the shelf for about two years because I wasn't happy with it after I finished it. But after reading a lovely review for A New Leaf, I decide I will just get it out there and be done with it. This will be my last fanfic for an undetermined time. Currently I don't have any energy to write anything, as whenever I start committing to write something, it becomes a chore and its no longer enjoyable. So here goes, hopefully its fun enough for fans of the series who happen to stumble into this page. Adios!_

 _Disclaimer : The storyline, character background and setting have been written as closely as possible to canon/reality, but please note they are in no way reflecting the actual conditions as I have never been to Japan._

* * *

"Our first vacation, finally!" Sammy exclaimed as the private jet they boarded took off en route to Tokyo. "I think this is the first time in God-knows-how-long when I am not flying behind the wheel of some spaceship or rocket."

"That's if you can call a _publicity tour_ a vacation," Eric reminded him.

"I wouldn't give it such a judgmental term," Grant countered patiently. "This is more like a sympathy gesture, a concert of hope of some sort. Japan is one of the countries most affected by the recent tsunami. The people need a little spirit booster, a comforting thought that there's still some good in this chaotic world."

"I know," Eric clarified, "but you can't deny the fact it doesn't hurt the organization's image either. That's what our PR team had in mind when they organized this trip. People want to see the saviors behind the vehicles, to be able to relate to them. The more exposure we get, the more funding we secure. Not that it's a bad thing."

"Well, I couldn't care less." Sammy reclined in his seat. "What matters is I get a trip where I can actually walk around a place instead of just hovering sixty feet above it."

"Don't know if we can actually do that though," Catherine chimed in. "The social visit schedule is pretty packed, and we only have one and a half day before going to Australia tomorrow."

"I think one day should be enough to make all the stops," Grant checked his scheduler. "We still have extra half day tomorrow for sightseeing. Do you have any place you need to go to, Hidaka? Hidaka?"

"Huh?" The only Asian team member looked up from where he'd been staring out of the window in the last thirty minutes. "Sorry, come again?"

"Do you have anybody to see in Tokyo? Maybe a childhood friend or something?" Grant asked again.

"Oh." Raiji shook his head. "No, not there I guess."

"You okay? You've been so quiet since we took off," Catherine asked with a note of concern.

"Yeah...thought you'd be happy to see your homeland again after a year," Sammy added.

"I am," Raiji replied with a small smile. "Was just thinking about the last disaster. It's the second time tsunami had hit Japan in the last ten years. I'm just wondering how people will get back up after such close succession of harrowing experiences."

"Japan is one little fierce fighter," Eric remarked. "They just got better and better despite all that have happened to them in the last century or so. I'm sure this time is no exception."

"Your hometown did not get affected too badly I hope?" Catherine asked his Japanese teammate again.

"It was quite damaged but fortunately no casualties," Raiji responded. "We got it really bad the first time around but in the second time everybody was more prepared, and disaster was anticipated early so there was time for evacuation. The orphanage where I grew up in has to be rebuilt though."

"Where is it?" Sammy dared to probe now that his teammate himself had breached the subject. They rarely talked about Raiji's background, afraid to incite any painful childhood memory. Raiji had lost both his parents in a space accident at an early age.

"Oiso, in the outskirts of Yokohama."

"If you like, you can go there tonight or early in the morning for a visit and come back before twelve tomorrow," Grant offered. "Just tell me the fastest way to get there and I can ask Jackson to arrange a transport for you."

"But what about you guys?" Raiji sounded uncertain. "There'll be no one to show you around Tokyo."

"We'll manage. It's only half a day of free time anyway, so it's not like we'll get to see much." Grant smiled in assurance. "And there's always the city tour."

"Or," Sammy suddenly grinned, "we can all go with Hidaka to visit his childhood home. That's if you don't mind some team bonding in your hometown, Hidaka."

"Of course not!" Raiji responded, his eyes lighting up at the suggestion. "But are you guys sure? The town isn't all that exciting."

"Well, rather than wasting half a day just enough to cover a few blocks in Tokyo, I'd rather go and see my friend's backyard," Sammy winked. "Right, Eric?"

"I have to agree," Eric smiled. "Plus it would be nice to go somewhere where we'll be less noticed."

"Count me in," Catherine piped up, barely able to contain her excitement.

"What happened to the long-planned Harajuku itinerary?" Sammy teased.

"Visiting a friend's hometown seems an obvious choice over shopping when you have limited time, don't you think?" Catherine retorted.

"I didn't say it doesn't," Sammy threw the only girl in the team a knowing grin, not daunted with the murderous look she leveled at him.

"Oiso, Kanagawa it is then," Grant typed into his scheduler, smiling at the banter. It was amusing to the rest of the team how Catherine's interest in her Oriental teammate was obvious to anyone but the object of affection himself. "I've notified Commander Simpson of our schedule. What's the name of the house, Hidaka?"

"Elizabeth Saunders Home," Raiji answered, looking more cheerful at the thought of playing host to his friends. "It's located not far from the beach and the view of the sea is beautiful. You can see green pigeons in this rocky area of the shore and some beautiful fishes in the shallow waters. I used to swim and snorkel a lot there growing up."

He then animatedly highlighted each place of interest in his hometown, showing the rare boyish side more appropriate for his age than the grim seriousness he usually showed when on the job as professional rescue pilot.

"What's the history behind the name?" Eric asked curiously. "Elizabeth Saunders doesn't have any Japanese sound to it."

"It was the name of the British governess who funded the orphanage's establishment," Raiji explained. "The founder herself was a Japanese though. She originally built the house for parentless biracial children abandoned by their parents during World War II."

"Interesting. Any British influence in the teaching system then?"

"A little. We got English lessons earlier and more regularly than most public schools, and some subjects were taught and assessed in English."

"No wonder your English was already perfect when you came to IRO," Sammy commented. Raiji only smiled modestly.

Their conversation was interrupted when the robot attendants offered them breakfast. Eric made good use of his omelets, noting that he'd need a lot of energy waving and smiling and talking to people all day. Suddenly Catherine said, "Hey guys, look who's on TV."

Being a business private jet of IRO, the in-flight entertainment was tuned in to live news instead of movies. The rest of the team looked up just in time to see the NHK World channel showing a shaky footage of TB-1 dodging a violent splash of tsunami wave before landing on a safe spot to evacuate the people in Sydney. It was followed by a footage of TB-2 dropping rescue pods in the city and the refugees running to them for cover. The English caption at the bottom read: "Modern Superheroes: TechnoVoyager is the New Hope for the Afflicted World."

"Well, looks like you were not entirely wrong, partner," Sammy said to Eric as the screen now showed the five of them helping to settle the refugees in the shelter. "We've become bigger than the Beatles."

"At this rate," Grant commented as the news anchor highlighted their skyrocketing popularity, "I don't think you can stroll around any place anytime soon, Sammy."

"Well, I don't mind a bit of _that_ ," Sammy smirked as the screen now showed teenage girls gushing and squealing as they waved pictures and action figures of Eric and Raiji.

"Not sure if I wouldn't mind myself being perused as a toy," Eric murmured, "though I certainly would love the female attention."

"The action figures look a little...creepy," Catherine commented, then shuddered as one guy was shown grinning while holding a Barbie-like doll of her.

"Just wait 'til you get to Tokyo," Raiji said with a wink. "I think you'll find the dolls and figurines more agreeable."

Their jet touched down at the VIP terminal of Haneda International Airport and they were greeted by the extremely hospitable airport staff as well as members of the Japanese Special Rescue Team they'd worked with earlier when handling the recent tsunami disaster. Despite their courteous welcome, Catherine could see the special respect the people reserved for Raiji. Which was understandable, considering he was the first Japanese, Asian really, to make it to the elite international rescue team and at such a young age too. Raiji himself looked different among his countrymen, more relaxed and candid somehow. Catherine especially enjoyed the sound of his voice as he talked with them in his mother language, though she couldn't understand a word of it.

"Earth to Catherine," Sammy waved a hand before her, and she swatted it away, irritated. "Our limo is ready. You can have your crash course in Japanese with Hidaka later."

They were whisked to the waiting limousine that would take them to central Tokyo. As the car tore through the highway, Raiji gazed out at the lines of buildings outside the window with a mixture of longing and affection that Catherine had never seen before.

"It's good to be back, isn't it?" she asked. He just smiled.

"When I left, I was not sure when I would return," he said. "For all I knew, I could've been killed on my first mission."

"And now you've become a homeland hero," Sammy nudged him on the ribs. "Seeing the treatment you got in the airport, I daresay they'll kiss your feet when we get to town. Remind me to bring you along on my next trip here."

"You don't need me, Sammy. A very reliable source said you have quite a following here," Raiji nudged his friend back.

Suddenly Grant's wrist comm link beeped. All the other members looked at each other as the Chief talked with someone who was obviously Commander Simpson.

"Sorry, folks," Grant turned off his comm link with a sigh. "Looks like we won't be getting any free time. The Commander just told me there's a worrying volcanic activity in the Phillippines. We need to return to the base tomorrow morning just in case."

His announcement was greeted with several groans. Catherine looked especially deflated.

"What's with all the disasters lately," Sammy lifted both hands and gazed to the roof as if lamenting to the ruler of the universe. "Why can't they just happen all at once and be done with it? Sorry you can't see your folks, Hidaka."

"It's alright. I hadn't expected to go in the first place anyway," Raiji responded with what he hoped was a casual shrug.

"I'll talk with Commander Simpson when we get home," Grant promised. "Maybe he can let you off for one or two days to make it up."

"Don't sweat it, Chief. I can always go to the Commander myself if I need a break," Raiji reassured, aware there was a slim chance he could return to Japan or go anywhere else for that matter for any length of time. In fact, if it wasn't because of the organization's publicity team suggesting a tour to reach out to the public and encourage fund-raising, they wouldn't even have hopped on the jet. Having only started operations for a year or so, the IRO had not gathered enough qualified personnel to expand the core team, and the five of them needed to be on stand-by most of the time to answer emergency calls. Compared to the others, who had not seen their immediate families for more than a year, Raiji did not lose much, though he did miss his school teachers and a few good friends who now helped running the orphanage.

"Okay," Grant again checked his scheduler, "so first on the list is courtesy call to the Prime Minister, then visits to one school and one foster home in the city center before lunch and a brief tour to some disaster-affected prefectures in the vicinity. Looks like we'll only have enough time for dinner and sleep after we finished."

"No offense, but the schedule is so unpractical." Eric rolled his eyes. "Tokyo isn't one of the worse-off cities. It would make more sense if we go to coastal areas that got the brunt of the disaster like Hidaka's hometown, instead of doing all these redundant events in one place just to get major media coverages."

A slow grin surfaced on Sammy's face. "Partner, you're a genius."

"You got that lightbulb moment again, Sammy?" Eric asked.

His co-pilot winked. "I think I know just the way to get our jobs done here _and_ make sure our friend can go home."


	2. Chapter 2

"It really works," Catherine marveled three hours later as they watched the crowds came in hordes to make their donations to the Hope Foundation School and Foster Home in central Tokyo. Thanks to Sammy, they had managed to tweak the social visit schedule so that, instead of wasting the whole day visiting various places in the city that were not too damaged to begin with, they used the large capacity of the school's hall to hold one big fundraising event, the highlight of which would be live watch of Captain Raiji Hidaka and several lucky schoolchildren's visit to some tsunami-racked coastal regions with TB-1. "Thank goodness the event organizers responded quickly to the change of plan."

"And Newell is going to bring TB-1 over in half an hour with extra seats installed for the kids," Eric said, referring to one of the most reliable TechnoVoyager back-up pilots. "Two birds with one stone. Brilliant idea, partner."

"Thanks for the praise," Sammy replied with a wink, then looked over to where Raiji stooped before a bunch of second graders, chatting with them and ruffling their hair. Sensing his friends' gaze on him, he turned and gave them a thumbs-up.

"That's perhaps the happiest I've ever seen him," Catherine remarked with a smile. "Wish we could go along with them."

"Unfortunately we need to stay put to entertain the crowd and field reporters' questions," Eric shrugged, though he did not seem to mind at all now after seeing public enthusiasm and his teammate's happy face. "We'll just have to settle with the TV coverage."

"Here comes our superstar," Sammy announced as Raiji came over, giving his friend a slap on the back. "Ready to bring the kids to the picnic, buddy?"

"I am, thanks to you," Raiji said gratefully. "Just don't tell Paul about this. He's been trying to get me to bring him along aboard TB-1 and I've never let him."

"If this is broadcasted worldwide, you won't stand a chance," Catherine smirked, remembering how eager Commander Simpson's six-year-old nephew was to join the squad. "Just hope he is busy with something else when this is on."

Raiji grinned, then turned serious. "Too bad you all can't go with me."

"There's always next time," Sammy assured him. "In the meantime, we'll just watch all the fun and enjoy some real sushi."

"Okay, you guys ready?" Grant walked toward them, clapping his hand together. "Let's get the party started."

At first Catherine thought she would be disappointed with the loss of opportunity to experience her teammate's hometown firsthand, but in the end she couldn't think of a better vacation, as Sammy had put it. She immensely enjoyed talking with a large group of enthusiastic schoolchildren, seeing them bouncing on the balls of their feet and shooting their hands up in the air as they competed in the science quiz that would determine the lucky winners for a trip with Captain Hidaka. She had a big smile plastered on her face as the five winners shrieked in delight upon being called and marveled at the sportsman-like attitude shown by the other children as they cheered for their friends. She did not even mind the high school girls screaming Raiji's name on top of their lungs when the team helped the event organizers threw stuffed TechnoVoyager mascots to the audience. And when TB-7 landed on the rooftop to pick up Raiji and his little passengers and take them to TB-1 that hovered thirty feet above the school building, she felt her heart soared with them.

But the most unforgettable part was seeing Raiji and the kids as they visited the coastal areas, their whole journey covered by handicam to be broadcasted via satellite to the crowds gathering at the school yard. The giant screen showed the delight and wonders on the kids' faces as Raiji took them to the sky, the view from above as seen through the space shuttle's windows, and the touching encounter when Raiji brought the kids to meet their less-than-fortunate friends in affected areas. And Catherine could never forget the emotions flashing on Raiji's eyes as he landed TB-1 on the waters of Oiso, their last destination, just before he thanked the donators on camera and took the kids to the house now accommodating the inhabitants of currently-renovated Elizabeth Saunders Home.

"And the curtain's closed," Eric said behind her as the coverage ended, presumably to give Raiji some privacy as he reunited with his childhood friends. "That was some show, wasn't it?"

Catherine turned to look at him and smiled. "I bet there wasn't a dry eye in the house."

"Not after that footage of the kids hugging their peers, no," her teammate agreed. "We've raked up five million worths of donation today. I should ask the Commander to appoint Sammy as our PR officer."

They stayed for one more hour to thank the crowds and obliged photo requests from some fans and the media. Catherine could not help but notice that many teen girls and some young mothers looked understandably dejected with Raiji's absence in photo session, though their disappointment seemed to be alleviated with the live coverage and Eric's presence. Suddenly her eyes was riveted to a particularly interesting keychain hanging from the zipper of one gushing girl's schoolbag.

"Time to go, Catherine...Cath?" Eric asked, as she debated with herself whether to approach the girl and make up some creative excuse as to why she wanted to know the origin of her keychain.

"I'll be right there," she said quickly, but Eric's eagle eyes had looked at the direction of her stare.

"Ah. I see now what Hidaka meant by more agreeable Japanese-made dolls. He looks admittedly very cute with those big brown anime eyes."

"Cut the crap, Eric. I was just wondering where I could buy a set like that of all of us. For my younger brother," Catherine reasoned.

"No need to explain, sweetheart," he said to her with an irritating smirk, then walked over to the bag owner in question.

"What are you doing?" Catherine asked alarmedly, but her teammate had called the girl and beckoned her over. She looked as if she had just been asked to the dance by the Royal Prince of England. Her friends giggled behind her as Eric talked with her in a mixture of English, Japanese and some sign language, then obliged her request for a selfie and rewarded her with a quick hug.

"You speak Japanese?" Catherine asked increduously as Eric walked back toward her with a swagger. The poor teenage girl had returned to her friends, looking as if she could faint at any moment.

"Learned for one semester in Cambridge. Just enough to string out some pickup lines." He winked as Catherine rolled her eyes. "Tried to get her surrender that keychain but apparently my charm wasn't enough to make her want to part with it."

"Thanks for your concern but I've said I wanted the _whole_ set." Catherine glowered at him. "Besides you should be ashamed of yourself trying to manipulate a girl like that."

"Relax, sweetheart. I was only joking. What do you reckon she would think of me if I asked for my _male_ teammate's mini doll?" He raised an eyebrow at her, and when she just crossed her arms and said nothing, he lifted both hands in mock surrender. "She said she got it in a place called Nakano Broadway, but I think she also mentioned the first place to look is Akihabara. Her English is just as broken as my Japanese so we'll just have to find out which of the two places is the easiest to reach at the moment."

But they did not have such luck. The fundraising event was so successful that the media invited them for interviews left and right, with extravagant luncheons provided, and finally the organizers, taking their cues from Sammy, decided to hold impromptu press con in the biggest five-star hotel in town. By the time they finished, the team was so exhausted Catherine did not have the heart to ask the driver to bring them anywhere else.

"It's okay, I can google the place up and buy online if necessary," she answered when Eric asked. "It's just dolls anyway."

Her teammate only gave her a look that said 'You have to fool me better than that, sweetheart', but she pretended to ignore it and looked out of the window.

They were booked at the Trusty Tokyo Bayside hotel, which was chosen because of its quiet surroundings away from the city bustle and close distance to Haneda airport. It was small compared to other hotels in town, but it held its own elegant charm, not that Catherine cared at the moment between her exhaustion and the image of the keychain still dangling in her head. Combination of the past week's draining mission and the day's packed activities knocked her out once she hit the pillow, but after two hours of solid nap that was broken with the call for dinner, she was again reminded of Doll Operation 1.0.

 _Right,_ she thought as she walked to the bathroom to clean up. _Don't be like a child, Catherine. You can google those shops_ _in Akihabara or Nakano or wherever it is and order the thing online. It's just a_ doll _for goodness sake, not worth your precious resting time. Besides, you have the real live person just next door._

But it was easier said than done. After half an hour of fruitless Internet search and Raiji still not showing up after dinner, the selfish, teenage girl side of her that had been locked up for so long began to kick in. She couldn't stop thinking about the mini doll, the thick black brows and round brown eyes and tiny smirk so resembling the person it had been modeled after somehow. She just _had_ to get it, to stare at and hold when she was itching to but could not do the same thing to the real person. She toyed with the idea to ask a hotel staff's help to look for it, telling them to get the 'whole set' to cover up. But what was she to do if there was no such thing as a whole set? Or if the doll she wanted most was missing? Tell them to try and get it at all cost? That was just as good as telling the world about her secret crush, though it was not like the public had not suspected.

Huffing in annoyance, she threw her book to the bed and got up to grab her jacket and purse. Tokyo was one the safest and most orderly cities in the world, she supposed it would be alright if she went out for a couple of hours. She debated whether to tell Grant, but she had a feeling the Chief would not approve of her gallivanting around at this hour when they had to be ready early tomorrow to face possible emergency. Guilt flashed through her at the thought, but her selfish side must've gotten extra ammunition that night, because she pushed it aside and walked to the lobby anyway. _It shouldn't take very long,_ she thought as she tied her hair into a ponytail and put on a baseball cap to disguise herself before hopping into the waiting hotel shuttle. _I will be back before they realize I am gone._

* * *

Raiji hopped down from the autocab in front of the hotel lobby and jogged up the stairs with a skip on his steps. He was tired to the bones, but couldn't remember feeling happier. Not only had he helped making the day of thousands of kids, he'd also managed to reunite with all his teachers and friends he'd not seen since he left Oiso years ago to attend flight school in Tokyo. Some of them no longer stayed at Elizabeth Saunders home, but had come back that day to surprise him once they heard about his homecoming. There was never a merrier reunion as they laughed, hugged, cried and spoke over each other. He was glad they did not treat him any differently, though they could not be prouder of his achievements. For several hours, he enjoyed being just Raiji Hidaka, a small town boy, not a world superhero. Though IRO was his home now, it had been so long since he was only a regular teenager in Japan that it felt very refreshing.

Entering the team's suite, he saw Grant, Eric and Sammy lounging in the sitting room. "You're back!" Sammy exclaimed as he leapt to his feet. "So how's your homecoming party? Bet it was tons of fun, considering you only return now."

"Sorry, I lost track of time," Raiji smiled apologetically. "We had barbecues and the kids had the time of their lives. I almost didn't want to go."

"No worries, Hidaka. You deserved that break after all your hard work this past year," Grant nodded with a smile. "Go and get some rest. You look quite beaten up."

Raiji nodded and was about to go to his room when he realized someone's missing. "Where's Catherine?"

"Gone out to get some fresh air," Sammy answered. "She left a message with the bellhop that she'll be back in an hour."

But one hour later, there was no sign of Catherine. And it began to rain.

"She should have been back by now." Raiji, fresh from shower, looked out of the window for the fifth time in as many minutes. "There is nothing to see around here but the Tokyo Big Sight, and there isn't any fair there right now."

"Maybe she's being held up by the rain," Sammy suggested. "Relax, buddy. There's no way she can get lost. Unless she forgets the hotel's name."

"I'll try her comm link," Grant pushed a button on his wrist watch. "Hope she has it with her. Catherine? Are you there?"

Burst of static and crackle answered back. Someone seemed to be talking but none of them could hear it clearly.

"I think I heard crowd...and car horns," Sammy remarked, then looked out at the nearly empty streets in front of the hotel. "Doesn't seem to be from around here, I think."

"No," Eric said slowly. "No way she's going there."

"Where?" His friends asked in unison.

Eric sighed. "Akihabara."

Raiji stared at his friend as if he'd grown an extra head. "Why would she go to anime and games centre?"

"She told me earlier she wanted to get a set of toys for her younger brother," Eric answered smoothly. Technically, it wasn't a lie: he merely repeated Catherine's bluff to him. "Is it far from here?"

Raiji raked his fingers through his hair. "Half an hour's ride give or take."

Grant swore under his breath. "I hope she does not lose track of time. It's getting late and we need to be prepared for tomorrow."

"She should've waited for me," Raiji grumbled. "I can easily help her get it."

"Keep trying with the comm link," Sammy suggested. "For all we know, she may be on her way back now."

But after fifteen minutes, all they got were bursts of nonsensical noises. And the rain only got heavier. Raiji got up from his seat.

"Where are you going?" Eric asked.

"I can't just sit here," his friend said as he walked to the door. "Just call me if she comes back."

"I know you're a native, but she could be anywhere now. You'll only waste your time looking for her, and I can't afford having two staff short," Grant said in a firm tone.

"And I can't let anything happen to a teammate if there is something I can do about it," Raiji shot back. "I'm aware of our situation tomorrow. I'll get back in time."

"You won't be of much use if you don't get enough rest tonight," Sammy reminded.

"I've been through worse," Raiji responded. "Just keep in touch."

As he reached the door, Eric called after him, "If you can't find her there, try Nakano Broadway."

Raiji stopped short. "How come you know so much about this?"

"I got that information for her when she wanted to know the best places to buy the toys." Eric paused. "I hope there isn't anymore potential places she can go."

"Thankfully not," Raiji confirmed before closing the door behind him.


	3. Chapter 3

Catherine raked her now loose blond hair in frustration as she watched the rain pelting down relentlessly on the roofs of the darkened shopping complex. The snatch-and-go plan did not go as well as she'd expected. The trip to Akihabara had taken a mere twenty minutes, and the whole place had been full with anime and videogame stores she'd thought she would go blind from all the bright colors and lights. But after half an hour of searching, it was apparent that their visit to Japan had been so successful that all TechnoVoyager-related knick-knacks had been wiped almost clean off the shelves.

And there had not been one Raiji doll left.

The stores had begun to close one by one and Catherine had almost given up when she saw one small shop a little way down the street, separated from the others. Deciding to try her luck one last time, she had gone over and noticed that the shop was a little drabber than the others. The shop owner had admitted, via speech translator in Catherine's wrist gear, that they used to be one of the first shops in the area, but had somehow lost the competition to latter, bigger stores. That said, TechnoVoyager fans who did not get their idols' miniatures elsewhere that day had had the same line of thought as Catherine's and hunted smaller, less noticeable shops, leaving none of them unplundered.

"That would be the first to go," the forty-something lady had informed Catherine with a smile when she told her through the speech translator that she just needed one more TechnoVoyager miniature to complete 'my brother's collection'. Apparently the lady had not recognized her. "The young man is the pride of all Japanese, and with that strapping good looks, every girl would want to have his poster or whatever in their bedroom. But let me check with my sister in Nakano Broadway. Our business is better there because we sell old anime stuff and people go there to find something you can't find in other stores. Makes me wonder if I better close this one and help there instead. Let me see if she happens to have any extra."

Catherine's spirit had deflated when she learned that Nakano Broadway was another twenty-minute ride from Akihabara. By then she had breached her self-imposed time limit and wondered whether her friends had begun to wonder where she was. When she turned on her comm link, which she'd muted earlier, the lady had returned with a miraculous news: there was one Raiji doll left in the Nakano branch. Catherine had turned off the comm link again, thanked the kindly lady and hurried out to catch another autocab.

Nakano Broadway was old as Akihabara was new, homely as Akihabara was extravagant. When Catherine arrived, most of the shops-stalls really-at the shopping complex had closed, but there had been light coming out from one shop at the end of the long alley. She had gone in to find a young girl of about seventeen reading a novel in a corner. The girl looked a little shocked as she saw her, but had quickly composed herself and smiled.

"Can I help you?" she'd said in surprisingly good English.

"Yeah...um...is this the Nakamura trinket shop?"

"That's right. Are you the customer from Akihabara?"

"Yes."

The girl then disappeared through a back door before coming out with something in her hand.

"You're lucky," she'd said with a smile as she gave it to Catherine. "This little guy is very popular these days."

When Catherine opened the plastic wrapper, she saw the exact same keychain she'd seen hanging from the teenage girl's schoolbag that morning. The mini Hidaka was even cuter up close, looking perfect with his slightly wavy black hair, mischievous-looking tiny face and neat red-white uniform. Nearly choked at finally having something to represent him in her hand, Catherine's euphoria had been cut short as she heard the rumble outside and the sound of raindrops on the roof. "I have to go," she'd said, almost forgetting to pay. "Keep the change. Thank you so much!"

She then pushed the doll deep inside her bag and activated her comm link. The red LED was blinking, signaling incoming calls. Grant. Bracing herself to get an earful, she pressed the call button.

"I'm on my way back now. Sorry I lost track of time, but it shouldn't take too long to..." Her words had faltered as she realized the only answering noise were indistinct crackles. "Hello, Chief? Can you hear me? Hello?"

She had spoken over and over while walking to the exit, tapping and shaking the wrist gear the whole time. It had taken her a couple of minutes to realize the comm link must've been accidentally crushed at one point when she was surrounded by the hordes of kids during the fundraising event, damaging one of the wires. Cursing under her breath, Catherine tried to hail an autocab outside, only to find they were all occupied.

"Hard to get one in this kind of rain," the girl from the shop suddenly appeared behind her. "Why don't you wait in the shop? Maybe it will stop in a bit."

"But don't you need to close and go home?" Catherine asked.

"We live not far from here," she said with a smile. "Come on. I can make you some tea while you wait."

A woman looking identical to the lady at the little shop in Akihabara had waited for them inside the shop. She smiled widely as she saw Catherine and asked something in Japanese.

"She asked if you got your stuff already," the girl translated before answering on Catherine's behalf.

"It's a miracle you still have one here," Catherine commented.

The older woman glanced at the girl, presumably her daughter, and they shared a look before the woman turned to Catherine and said something in Japanese.

"Sorry, I don't understand," Catherine said apologetically, glancing back at the girl. She looked up with a nervous smile.

"That was mine actually," she said, her cheeks pink. "When I heard from my aunt at Akihabara that you were looking for the doll for your little brother, I thought he might need it more than I do."

Now it was Catherine's turn to feel bad for lying and using her brother, who knew nothing and had actually grown tired of TechnoVoyager miniatures filling his bedroom. She'd chided Eric earlier when thinking he'd manipulated the teenage girl into giving up her keychain, and yet...

She felt herself reaching inside her bag. "Take it back, then," she said to the girl, placing the doll on the counter before she could change her mind. "You claimed it first. I can order online when you have restocked."

"No, no, no," the girl looked horrified, pushing the doll back. "I am the seller, I should serve my customer first. Besides I can get another if they supply to us again."

Catherine hesitated when the old woman approached her and suddenly spoke carefully, in broken English, "You like him, Miss Katharine?"

Seeing her guest taken aback, she nodded eagerly with a smile. "My sister...knows you."

"I..." Catherine did not know what to say. This was not what she'd expected. Her eyes darted to the girl, who had watched her intently. A smile slowly surfaced on her face.

"This is for yourself, right?" Gently, she pushed the doll back to Catherine's frozen hands. "Keep him. Take care of him," she said, apparently meaning more than just the doll.

"I...I'm sorry," Catherine stammered, embarrassed. "I just...I don't know..."

"We will not tell anyone," the girl assured. The older woman again spoke in Japanese. "My aunt at Akihabara recognized you and told my mother here. We often read about TechnoVoyager in newspapers, and we heard rumors about you and Hidaka-san. Then we saw you two on TV when helping tsunami victims. We think you look...right together."

Her cover entirely blown, Catherine sighed. "Thanks. I'm...afraid that's all it is though. Gossip."

Her intention was to dispel any assumption about her relationship with Raiji, but something in her tone must have suggested her own disappointment about it, because the older woman again spoke enthusiastically in Japanese. Smiling, her daughter translated, "He needs time. Men are like that. My father was in the navy, and all he thought was duty, duty, duty. But someday he will know."

Catherine smiled back despite herself. Strangely, she felt comfortable confiding in these strangers. She finally gave up trying to revive her comm link and enjoyed tea and little chat with her new friends.

The rain finally eased after an hour. Catherine turned to the two women escorting her to the exit and bowed. " _Arigato._ Thank you so much for all these...and for keeping this to yourself."

"Keep up the good work," the daughter translated her mother's speech. "We're all behind you."

Heart warmed, Catherine nodded resolutely. "I promise."

She walked to the door, planning to take the train in case she could not find any autocab, but one suddenly screeched to a halt in front of the shopping complex. She approached it with relief, only to be surprised by a young man's angry face emerging from it.

"What do you think you're doing?" Raiji nearly shouted as he grabbed her arms. "I've gone crazy looking for you! Everyone's worried sick! How can you be so selfish?!"

"My comm link was broken!" Catherine shouted back after the initial shock, feeling defensive. "I've been trying to contact you guys for almost an hour! I would've been on my way if it wasn't for the rain!"

"Stop making excuses!" Raiji retorted. "You've gone wandering around in an unfamiliar place, without telling your teammates about your whereabouts no less, when we have a possible emergency tomorrow. I thought you're wiser than that."

Catherine swallowed, feeling so angry and ashamed with herself she was nearly reduced to tears. Trying to gather scraps of her dignity, she said in an icy tone, "If you're done humiliating me and exposing us to the public, can you let me go and discuss this in private?"

Realizing he still gripped her arms, he jerked away from her as if she was hot. Anger and embarrassment warred on his face, but then he composed himself and said tersely,"You're right. Let's go."

Heart thundering in her chest, she stalked past him to the autocab. When she glanced one last time to the now darkened shopping complex, she saw the two women watching timidly behind a pillar. Raiji saw them too and walked toward them, exchanging a few words in Japanese. Then he bowed at them and they returned the gratitude in kind before he joined Catherine in the cab and rode off.

"Are they going to be okay, Mother?" Ayumi asked as the autocab disappeared in the distance. "He looked so...angry."

Her mother only smiled. "He was angry because he was worried about her. Did you see how he didn't even remember to cover up or lower his voice? And he looked so relieved when he thanked us." Yukiko paused thoughtfully. "He doesn't know it yet, but I think he loves her."

Ayumi stared pensively into the darkness, unable to believe what had just happened. This morning she was still a gushing fan of Hidaka-san, and tonight she saw him and Catherine bickering in front of her mother's shop like an old married couple. It worth losing the keychain indeed. She could only hope the couple survived.

Suddenly a thought crossed her mind. "How did he know she was here?"

A mischievous smile broke across Yukiko's lined face. "Why do you think I asked your aunt not to close the shop for one more hour?"

* * *

In the cab, Catherine threw sideway glance at Raiji as he pressed the button on his own wrist comm link. "I found her, Chief. We're on our way back."

Grant seemed to be saying something. Raiji glanced at Catherine.

"She's a bit beaten up. Can you wait?"

 _Great,_ Catherine thought. She could only imagine what kind of welcome she would receive at the hotel.

"Okay," Raiji said through the comm link. "IROS."

An awkward silence filled the cab before Catherine sighed. "You're right. That was indeed irresponsible of me. I should've at least told Grant where I was going." When Raiji did not answer, she continued, "I just thought nothing could happen. Tokyo is the safest city in the world, as you probably know, and I am more than capable of taking care of myself."

"The fact that it rained and your comm link broke proves anything can happen," Raiji responded, his anger melting into tiredness. "Assuming there're no crimes in the city, there could be power failures, earthquake, fire...or else we wouldn't be doing what we are doing."

She stared at her lap. "I'm sorry to have made everybody worried."

After a moment silence, he responded, "I should apologize too. I overreacted back there."

There was another silence, but this time more comfortable. Suddenly Catherine wanted to know. "How did you find me? I didn't say where I was going."

Raiji smiled wryly. "Eric seemed to have a pretty good idea. But even then finding you was like trying to find a needle in the haystack. With no communication and no idea of what you are looking for, I was practically running blind. I entered every store that was still open, asked every person, and was about to throw my disguise away and request local police search when I saw that small shop you went to."

Carherine tensed. "And then?"

Raiji shrugged. "The owner said she sent you to Nakano to get the toy your brother wanted. End of story. What toy is it actually? Why are you so determined to find it?"

 _So she did not tell him_ _about the keychain_ , Catherine thought, wondering how much the shop owners read into their relationship.

"Just a rare action figure," she said. That was not a lie.

"Can I see it? Maybe next time..."

"No!" She automatically grabbed her bag to his shock. "I mean...I don't want to see it now. It has caused a lot of trouble."

"O-kay," Raiji said slowly. "I was just thinking I may know how to get it online for him if he wants another. To save you the trouble."

"Will let you know if he does. Thanks," she murmured, heart still thundering in her chest. There could be nothing worse than your teammate thinking of you as a stalker.

The cab now sped along the bayside road to Ariake, where their hotel was. To dispel another awkward silence thanks to her odd reaction, Catherine turned the radio on. A catchy, relaxed bossa nova tune was heard, the sweet female singer's voice filled the space between them.

 _A quiet moment, making my footprints on the sand._  
 _A sweet feeling comes surrounding me, it's delirious._  
 _Now that's a sugar rush, my heart is beating oh so fast_  
 _And I don't wanna fall too deep but I want to make it last_

 _There's no need to rush, we can take our time_  
 _Let it go the natural way_  
 _We begin as friends and who knows what?_  
 _Where this could be taking me_

Catherine shifted uneasily in her seat. From the corner of her eyes, she peered at her teammate. Raiji reclined in his seat, his face turned to the window.

 _In this nice cool breeze yes I am all at ease_  
 _When I gush and this sweet feeling comes to me_  
 _Can't deny, can't lie, can't really face the truth_  
 _And I wonder if you're feeling the same way too_

 _You know what I would like?_  
 _I'd like to get to know you more_  
 _Make that mutual_  
 _Boy, you know you wanna know me too_

 _Get real,_ she thought, her left hand shot to the volume button just as Raiji's right hand touched it.

They looked at each other for a second as electricity seemed to zip along Catherine's arm to her spine. Then they simultaneously dropped their hands.

"You don't like it too?" he asked.

"Cheesy," she answered. "You?"

"Made me sleepy," he responded.

Catherine could not help but chuckle, and after eyeing her, Raiji chuckled too. Catherine turned the volume down.

"So how's your day?"

The simple question led to a most welcomed change of topic, and Raiji relaxed almost immediately as he told her the fun times he'd shared with his friends and the kids back at Oiso. Catherine listened and laughed, enjoying the rare good humor he displayed whenever he was at ease. He even fished out a group photo they'd taken earlier from his back pocket, which he'd shoved there to show his teammates at the hotel before they realized she was missing.

The return of comfort and the sound of his voice made Catherine feel relaxed as the autocab glided smoothly along the bridge. Her muscles eased and her eyelids grew heavier. The next thing she knew, she woke up with her head resting on Raiji's shoulder and his own head on top of hers. The scent of soap and gentle musk reached her nose, one she remembered smelling on him a few months ago when she'd literally bumped into his shirtless self in the swimming pool. Startled, she jerked her head up, causing his to fell on her shoulder. The autocab had stopped and the yellow light of the hotel lobby shone through the window at them.

"What-?" He lifted his hand to shield his eyes when a shadow fell over them.

"Hmm," a deep, elegant male voice said. "You two seemed to have quite an enjoyable ride I see."

"Shut up, Eric," Raiji muttered as he fumbled for his transport card and pressed it to the autocab fare scan. Once the lamp turned green, he scrambled out of the cab followed by Catherine, whose cheeks had turned pink.

"You better have a very good reason, young lady." Eric shifted his gaze at Catherine. He knew she was just about to turn nineteen, yet before tonight he had never seen her behaving her age. It was like looking at a different person. He wondered how deep her crush must be on their dark-haired teammate, or whether it was just a burst of teenage hormones that had been bottled up for the sake of professionalism for too long.

"I doubt anything is good enough right now," Catherine sighed resignedly.

"I sure think so," a deeper voice was heard as a giant shadow loomed before them.

The three younger TechnoVoyager members never thought of Grant as menacing despite his impressive size, but today they finally appreciated fully for the first time why he'd been appointed as the Chief Commander of the team. With grave deep voice and piercing gray eyes, he exuded authority and grimness that were not to be messed with.

Raiji took one involuntary step forward and was about to open his mouth when Catherine beat him to it, "You're right, Chief. I have no excuse for my behavior tonight. I thought a little joyride into town was harmless and overlooked the situation. Hidaka has made it clear to me on the way home. I just want everyone to know I didn't mean to cause distress. I am prepared for any sanction."

Grant looked into her eyes and nodded slightly. "I appreciate you owning up to your mistake, Captain Hayward. I've also seen that you've truly regretted your actions. Considering your professionalism so far, and the fact that you haven't had a break for a while, I'll let this one off. But next time you decide to go for a long walk in unfamiliar place, you may want to seriously consider taking precautions and inform the team, or we may have serious problems. Now go get some rest and think about it."

Catherine nodded and walked slowly up the stairs. Grant shifted his gaze to Raiji once she was out of earshot. "I know you must be tired, Hidaka. But I need to have a few words with you as well. It won't take long."

Raiji nodded mutely and followed Grant to the lobby. Eric tailed behind them, thinking that the whole thing was probably just the beginning.


End file.
